AMMAN, Jordan — Pope Benedict XVI began his first trip to the Middle East on Friday, expressing his "deep respect” for Islam and hopes that the Catholic Church would be a force for peace in the region as he treaded carefully following past missteps with Muslims and Jews.
The pope was given a red-carpet welcome by Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Queen Rania and praised the moderate Arab country as a leader in efforts to promote peace and dialogue between Christians and Muslims.
The trip to the Holy Land is the first for the German-born Benedict, who will travel on Monday for a much-anticipated four days in Israel and the Palestinian territories.
Benedict’s three-day stay in Jordan is his first visit to an Arab country as pope. The pope also is expected to meet Iraqi Christians driven from their homeland by violence.
"I really want to meet the pope,” said Cecile Adam, an 11-year-old whose family fled Baghdad. "I think he can do something to help Iraq because Jesus gave him a good position.”
The pope was given a red-carpet welcome by Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Queen Rania and praised the moderate Arab country as a leader in efforts to promote peace and dialogue between Christians and Muslims.
The trip to the Holy Land is the first for the German-born Benedict, who will travel on Monday for a much-anticipated four days in Israel and the Palestinian territories.
Benedict’s three-day stay in Jordan is his first visit to an Arab country as pope. The pope also is expected to meet Iraqi Christians driven from their homeland by violence.
"I really want to meet the pope,” said Cecile Adam, an 11-year-old whose family fled Baghdad. "I think he can do something to help Iraq because Jesus gave him a good position.”
by the associated press
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